~ Bella ~
So Fellas (yeah) Fellas(yeah)
Has your girlfriend got the butt (hell yeah)
Well shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake that healthy butt
Baby got back
Son of a misbegotten diseased monkey's whore, what the fuck is that?
As my eyes opened and the lyrics sank into my brain, I wondered why on earth any DJ worth his paycheck would think Sir Mix-A-Lot was a good choice for 5:30 am on a Monday. That song was going to be stuck in my head for hours now.
Reaching over to punch the alarm clock, a chuckle from the corner of my room had me picking it up and throwing it instead, while I scrambled to get upright on the bed and scoot into the corner.
Scanning the room, my eyes finally landed on Edward. Right, forgot he was spending the night.
He held my radio in his hand, the expression on his face contrite at the realization of how much he scared me.
"Um, hi," I mumbled, embarrassed. "Sorry about that. Hope I didn't like, well, I guess there's nothing that little radio would have done to you, other than maybe offend your musical sensibilities."
Smiling, he assured me he was fine. "It's all right Bella; I apologize for startling you. I should've realized you'd be slow to remember first thing in the morning."
"Okay. I'm, uh, going to go use, well, you know, the other room." It was embarrassing to mention a toilet to the gorgeous man in front of me, who was so perfect his body didn't produce excrement.
He walked over and drew me into a light hug. I held myself stiff for a moment, again uncomfortable with his cold, hard body, but then felt myself relax into his embrace. After the night we had spent, it was easier now.
"Bella, its okay. Really. I know this will take some time getting used to. I'm going to head home now and get ready for school. I'll be back to pick you up in a bit. Alice and Jasper are outside keeping an eye on things. You need anything, anything at all, you can whisper their names, and they'll hear."
"Great, does that mean they'll hear me shower and well, other stuff, too?" I wondered, not quite ready to get used to the idea of super-hearing vampire bodyguards.
"Don't worry. They hear humans use the facilities at school all the time. I promise you won't shock them."
Ha ha.
"Go then," I replied. "Just come back soon so you can relieve the guard. I haven't even really met them yet."
"Do you want me to introduce you before I go?"
"No!" I shouted, before I remembered they could hear me. "Fuck, they heard that didn't they? Probably think I'm a rude bitch. Sorry down there!" I called down hoping they'd not think too badly of me.
"I'm not a morning person. Let me go take my shower and grab something to eat. I promise I'll be better by the time you get back."
"Okay, love." He gave me a quick kiss on the nose that I barely avoided flinching from. At least I thought I did until I saw his eyes sadden a bit. He was gorgeous, and I was incredibly attracted to him; what was my problem this morning? I blushed when I thought of the things we'd done last night; I certainly didn't flinch then.
As gentle as a whisper, he nudged my chin up with his hand to look me in the eye. "Bella, I can practically see the wheels turning in your mind for all that it is silent to me. Stop beating yourself up; I understand its going to take time for you to be completely at ease. We'll get there; I'm sure of it."
I could finally smile at him, happy to be understood and have his patience.
He gave the barest little swipe of his thumb on my chin, the tiniest caress possible, before leaping out the window. I heard nothing of his landing or departure, but I swore I could feel when he was no longer close. It was like an invisible cape of protection had been removed from my body. Even knowing there were now two vampires watching over me instead of one, it was not the same.
I headed into the bathroom, used the toilet as silently as possible, and then got in the shower. As I washed my body, I remembered Edward's hands on me during the night. The memories heated up my skin so much, I had to turn down the the water.
He'd driven me home, and after pulling in the driveway, let me know he'd be staying outside to keep watch. By then, my mind had been tired from all the discussion and life altering revelations; I could only mumble a "thank you" before heading in the house and up to my room. Thankfully, Charlie had already gone to bed, though I'm sure he'd been keeping an ear out for my arrival from his room. I whispered a quick, "'Night, Dad," on my way by and heard his answering grunt in return.
Once in my room, I checked out my window and saw Edward's car was gone. Thankful he had the foresight to remove it from the driveway so my dad wouldn't see if he got up during the night, I sat on the bed to try and relax enough for asleep.
It was funny; my room was nice and warm, and I knew from experience how cold Edward's skin felt. Yet now that he wasn't with me, I felt colder than I had in his arms. All night, as much as I'd ended up enjoying myself with Edward, a small part of me had looked forward to being alone in my room again. Now that I was here, all I wanted was Edward back.
I went to the window again and looked out, wondering if I'd be able to see him. My eyes scanned the ground below, but, of course, I saw nothing. I turned to head back to bed when a flash of white caught my eye. Edward was in the tree outside of my window, sitting there looking quite comfortable with a smile on his face as he watched me.
Opening the window, I knelt on the floor and rested my arms on the sill. Even knowing he could hear me, I stayed silent, only wanting to look at him. He was beautiful, and he made me feel safe. Laying my head on my arms, angling my body so he was still in my sight, I had made myself as comfortable as I could, prepared to spend the night there watching him.
He gestured with his hand from himself to me, silently asking if I wanted him to come in. I thought about it, thought about all that implied, all we could do, and ended up blushing as I nodded my assent.
Before I could move, he'd leaped from the tree to the window, still outside, clinging to the frame like a monkey.
"Hi," he whispered, smiling softly at me.
"Hey."
I sat back on my heels, giving him room to come in. Graceful as a tiger, he jumped lightly to the floor, crouching in front of me.
I'd turned the light on in my room when I came in, and now I realized this was my first opportunity to really look at him up close. He was, in a word, perfect. There was nothing that could be improved upon. No hair other than the riotous, golden copper on his head could better suit his amber eyes, strong jaw, and straight, Roman nose. Looking at him, I could feel my body responding to his perfection and to the way he was looking at me in return. It was as if he thought I was every bit as perfect as he was. Yet I knew there was one big difference in our gazes, while mine may contain appreciation and lust, his held love. It saddened me that I didn't know if I'd ever be able to look at him that way.
Already incredibly attuned to my moods, he moved till he was sitting beside me, picking up my hand and lightly rubbing it with his thumb.
"Bella, I know it's not the same for you. I understand, and I'll be patient. I promise."
I didn't know if his patience would do him any good; it's not as though if he waited long enough he'd turn back into a human, but I resolved to tamp down my concerns for once and enjoy what I had in front of me instead of worrying.
I maneuvered myself into his lap, bracing myself for the coldness of his skin, feeling the revulsion at first before it faded away into heat and desire. Straddling him, I wound my arms behind his neck and brought my lips to his, kissing him with everything I had, hoping he could find meaning that I was unaware of.
Our tongues swept against each other, the heat from mine warming his. I felt his hands settle on my waist under my shirt, the cooling sensation actually feeling nice for once, given how worked up I was getting.
Unable to stop myself, uncaring that I was acting like a slut, I ground my pelvis against his, wanting to feel proof that I aroused him as much as he did me. It was with quite a bit of shock when I realized exactly how large that evidence was. I'd heard all about bigger being better, but this seemed a bit extreme if we ever planned to actually come together that way.
"Edward, is that really you?"
He laughed, "Yes, Bella, its me. No worries—it won't bite."
"I'm not worried about it biting, you imbecile," I retorted, a little pissed he thought I was scared. "I'm worried about it fitting."
He raised an eyebrow at me, smirking a bit as I realized what I said. My telltale blush heated me up even more when I replayed the words in my head. Rudeness aside, I'd basically told him I wanted to have sex with him. He'd be doubting I was an actual virgin soon.
"I'm sorry, Bella," he chuckled, trying to be serious but failing miserably. "Oh, you make me laugh. It's good laughter, though, I promise—it's only because you make me so happy."
I ducked my head to his chest, flaming with embarrassment, and not wanting him to see me. His arms went all the way around me, and his chin came to rest on my head.
"Don't be shy on me now. And, I promise, we'll fit. It's exactly the same size it was when I was human. Believe me, I measured."
"Length and circumference?" I blurted out, blushing again at discussing penile geometry with him.
He burst out laughing, and it was a moment before he could answer. "Well, okay, I didn't check the actual diameter of the thing. It's standard size, though. I promise."
"Standard, my ass," I mumbled, and then blushed even harder when the inevitable image of him in that part of my anatomy entered my head.
"Bella, Bella, calm down or you're going to combust!"
Giving up on the whole talking thing, I raised my head back to his and grabbed his lower lip with my teeth. That was much more fun.
As we kissed, his hands started traveling up and down my back, each path growing firmer than the one before. The feel of his cold body against my hot one brought back a memory that had been forgotten until now.
One time, back when my mom was still alive, my dad had won a trip to a ski resort. They had an outdoor hot tub and we'd love to go soak in it at the end of a cold day. My mom had always been crazy, and on this particular day, my dad and I could both see when one of her harebrained ideas lit up her face. Exchanging glances, we could only wait in anticipation to see what she'd come up with now.
All of a sudden, she'd jumped up from the hot tub and scooted as fast as she could down the ladder and then did a running jump into the snow. She screamed and laughed, falling back and making snow angels. I looked at my dad and he only shrugged before grabbing my hand and tugging me out to join her. I'll never forget the feeling of the cold snow on my hot skin. My body had never felt more alive, more vibrant. That's how Edward was making me feel now, but to a much higher degree.
Remembering my mom, I had to stop kissing Edward for a moment, and work on keeping the sobs at bay. What would she think of me now if she saw what I was doing? Straddling the lap of—what do I even call him? Not a man, not a boy, I'd have to get used to it—straddling the lap of this vampire.
I moved away from Edward, ashamed of my actions when seeing them through my mother's eyes. He tried to hold me close, trying to comfort me, but I only wanted to be away from him. I tried to push him, shove him; it was like trying to move a building. Finally, he realized the panic starting to set in and let me go, sliding back on his rear and then jumping to his feet. Faster than I could see, he was apart from me, standing in the corner at the other end of the room.
Immediately, my body missed his touch, while my mind was grateful for the moment to think again. Edward was looking at me with incredible compassion and understanding; I felt awful for pushing him away again.
"I'm sorry, Edward!" I cried. "I don't know what happened; I was enjoying everything so much, and then I started thinking of my mom, and then I thought of her watching me with you, and I just lost it. I know that sounds awful and sick to imagine my mom watching us; I'm so fucked up. You should just go, find someone else to mate with. I'm no good for you."
I couldn't hold it in anymore and buried my face in my hands while I sobbed.
"Bella, are you okay? What's going on. I heard you talking. Is someone in there?"
Fuck! My dad. He was at the door, not opening it yet, but I'm sure he would any moment.
I looked in the corner, but Edward was gone; he must have heard my dad before I did.
I jumped up and ran to the door, opening it and letting my dad see my tear streaked face.
"I'm sorry I woke you, Dad. It was a dream; I must have been talking in my sleep again. I'm okay."
"You sure? You want to go downstairs and talk a bit? Have some water or warm milk?"
"No, Dad, I'm fine. I'm going to try getting back to sleep. I'm really sorry."
My dad smiled at me. "Its all right Bella; I don't mind checking in on you."
"Thanks, Dad. Go back to sleep now. You've got the early shift tomorrow."
"All right, sweetie. 'Night." I watched him stumble-walk back down the hallway, obviously still half asleep.
Once he was back in his room, I shut my door and turned around, checking to see if Edward had come back yet. He was in the opposite corner this time, still as far from me as possible in the small room, holding his forefinger in front of his lips to let me know my dad was still focused on my room.
We stayed in our spots, silently staring at each other, as we waited for my dad to settle back down. Finally, Edward dropped his hand and whispered that he'd gone back to sleep.
I got up from the floor and went over to sit on my bed. This brought me closer to Edward, and when he motioned as if to move away again, I shook my head, letting him know it wasn't necessary.
"I'm all right now. Do you want to come sit?" I moved so my back was against the headboard and my side against the wall. Edward sat next to me, and I leaned onto his shoulder, letting him know I could touch him again, and getting comfort for myself at the same time. He took my hand, holding it in his lap, and waited for me to talk.
"Will there come a time when I can just be with you?" I asked.
He shrugged a bit and said, "I'm not sure. Humans and vampires aren't meant to be together. Your species typically has an innate response to my kind, warning them away. For you to allow me the time we've spent already, is far and above what most humans could tolerate. You, who have the most reason out of anyone to fear me, are actually more comfortable with my presence than any other human I've met."
This didn't sound right to me. I'd seen the way the girls at school looked at him; any one of them would give all they had to be where I was right now.
"Edward, that's not true. You must know all the girls at school want you."
"Sure, they think they do. Some of the guys, too. Yet have you ever seen one actually get close to me? Think of Jessica Stanley—she crushes on me more than nearly any other female there. She's never once attempted to approach me. There's this trick she uses on boys she's interested in. It's ridiculous and simple, but it's worked for her time and again. All she does is pretend to fall and land in the unsuspecting guy's lap."
I laughed; it sounded like something that would happen to me. I'd be mortified; she was crazy to think being klutzy was a way to attract men.
"Then, she just chats them up from her perch on their lap. One or two have born it stoically and waited her out, but most have enjoyed the attention from her.
"Anyway, my point being, and please don't think I'm bragging here, in all the fantasies she's had of me, and there have been many," he groaned, exasperated "she's never once tried her lap trick. She's thought of it a couple times, but then her mind immediately rebels from making the attempt. It's almost like she doesn't even realize."
Thinking back, I realized he was right. In my three days at the school, I'd seen plenty of glances thrown his way, lots of whispers as he walked down the hall, but I'd yet to see a single person approach him other than his own family. Even the teachers seemed to give him, and all the Cullens, a wider berth than normal.
"Does that make you sad? Do you want them to be more comfortable around you?"
"No, we really don't. It would make it that much harder to keep up the illusion. I mean, I guess in a way we do, in the way that we wish were still human, but for what we are, this is fine."
"Why do you do it?" I truly wanted to understand his family's motivation. "Why attend high school at all?"
"It helps our family blend in, allowing us to move freely around the town instead of holed up in our house or the forest. We can go to stores, see movies, spend time at the park, all the things carnivorous vampires don't do. Even though we are only on the fringe of society, for us it's still better than being completely outside of it. When people start to notice we aren't aging, we move to the next location and start over."
"You never form relationships with any of the humans? Am I the first?"
A funny look came over Edward's face before he answered. "Carlisle met his mate while she was a young human girl, happy and full of life. She'd broken her leg falling out of a tree she'd been climbing. When she turned up again at another hospital he worked in, this time with fatal injuries and all alone, he turned her into one of us. It was similar with Emmett and Rose. Jasper and Alice met while vampires. So, the only human relationships we've had are from the brief time Esme and Emmett were human, before being changed."
I thought about this a moment. "Would Carlisle have turned Esme and Emmett if they weren't dying?"
"It's impossible to know; their lives would have been entirely different. When human, Esme had a son who'd died shortly after birth. Esme's husband had been abusive, and she'd left him several months earlier, hiding far from her family. After her son's death, she was incredibly despondent and lonely, causing her to try taking her own life; that's how she ended up in the hospital. If those other events hadn't happened, Carlisle would have never seen her again.
"Oh, Edward, how awful!"
His arms tightened around me, providing comfort.
"Esme will never forget her human son, he's the clearest human memory she still has, but she's grateful at having a second chance, even if it's as a vampire instead of a human. However, I doubt she'd feel the same if she hadn't mated with Carlisle after she turned. They were both lucky."
"What about Emmett?" I asked.
Edward shrugged. "I really don't know; the circumstances were very unusual. By the time Rosalie came across him for the first time, he was already dying. He reminded her of something from her human life, and that's what prompted her to bring him to Carlisle. She didn't realize he was her mate until after he'd turned. If he'd been healthy when she met him? I couldn't say. Rosalie keeps a lot of distance from humans; I'm not sure she would have even noticed him if he hadn't been covered in blood."
I shuddered; that sounded awful, like Emmett could have easily been a meal instead of a mate.
"How does a person get changed?" All of a sudden, I found myself asking questions I wasn't sure I wanted the answers to. In the back of my mind, a part I'd been trying to ignore, I'd been thinking about the implications of being mated to an eternally young entity.
Edward looked out the window for a moment; I wasn't sure if he was gathering his thoughts, or considering not answering the question.
He turned back and searched my eyes with his own. "Bella, can we not talk about that right now? I'll tell you; I promise. Not right now, though, please?" He was begging me to drop it; of course I wouldn't force him to answer me.
"Okay, Edward. I can wait. Only, well, is that what you'll do if something happens to me? Would you change me?" Finally, I asked what I really wanted to know.
He groaned lightly, holding me even tighter, almost to the point of making it difficult for me to breath. "Is that what you would want?"
Did I? Did I want to become one of those creatures? Certainly not, if I had a choice, but if I was dying?
"I'm sorry, Edward. I should have never asked these questions. I don't know what I'd want. Just, keep me safe, okay? So I don't have to decide right now?" I knew I was being a bit unreasonable, putting it all on his shoulders. It wasn't fair to him, but I had no idea how else to respond.
"I swear, with everything that I am, I'll keep you safe," he vowed in the most serious voice I'd heard him use. "If anything happens to you, it will be because I'm already gone."
I shuddered again; the thought of him no longer existing was becoming more and more unbearable with each moment we shared.
"Let's change the subject. So, how will it be tomorrow? For us? Are we going to keep this a secret or what?" I rushed the words out, not wanting to dwell on the other conversation any longer.
"What do you feel comfortable with, Bella?"
I had to think about that. Even before my mom had been killed, I was a quiet kid, not social at all. I spent most my time reading books or making up little stories with my toys. At school, I hung on the fringes, not feeling comfortable with all the kids and their caste system. For the most part, they ignored me, though some could be cruel at times. After my mom died, it was like I'd ceased to exist, like parent death was catchy. And I was fine with that; I did my own thing, got great grades, and bided my time.
If I showed up at Forks High School tomorrow as Edward Cullen's girlfriend, I would be the center of attention for a long time. That would be weird and very unwelcome. On the other hand, I was an honest person; the thought of pretending he and I had no connection each time we passed in the halls, were at lunch, or in the one class we shared was distasteful to me as well.
"Will you be able to keep the jackals away from me if we go public?" I asked.
He laughed. "I'll make sure they don't suffocate you."
"I'd really like to know what you think," I said, wanting a bit more input before deciding. "Do you have a preference at all?"
He considered for a moment. "Well, I do have a definite preference. If we pretend to not know each other, I have to keep my distance. If we don't pretend, I get to spend more time with you during the day. The choice is easy for me." He looked at me then a bit askance, knowing that the feelings I had for him simply weren't on the same level as his for me. I knew he didn't say those things to make me feel bad, but this little discussion only highlighted once again how uneven we were. At least, in this instance, I could do it his way; it'd suck, but I could tough it out.
"Couple it is then. We'll set Forks High School ablaze with gossip. Maybe I'll even shove a pillow under my shirt and pretend to be carrying your half human / half vampire progeny." I laughed.
Edward joined me in chuckling, but then his face grew sad all of a sudden.
"Hey, what's wrong? Did I say something I shouldn't?"
"No, no. It's nothing. Don't worry about it," he said, waving one hand a little as if to sweep his expression away.
"Edward, don't do that. Something bothered you. Tell me." I may not feel some kind of supernatural crazy love bond to the guy, but I certainly didn't want to be upsetting him with my moronic remarks, either.
"Children—just a random thought of children. That's all."
Oh.
"Uhm, shit, I don't know what to say. Can you even have kids, Edward?" I asked.
"No, vampires are sterile." He sounded so sad, I hadn't even thought about vampires wanting kids before. It made him seem—almost, well—human.
"You understand, Bella, what that means? I can never give you children. I'm afraid there will come a day when you hate me for that, as if you don't have enough reasons." He muttered the last, running a hand through his hair in agitation.
Honestly, I'd never thought of having children before. Considering I'd spent so much of my life thinking I'd never make it to reproductive age, they'd really never made it onto my radar. I certainly didn't want any now, or in the near future. If I was truly going to live, I was going to college and travel and all sorts of stuff. But could I do those things with Edward?
I looked at him, and my heart did ache for him as he sat there looking very dejected.
I craned my neck a little so I could look him in the eye as I spoke, since his gaze was currently directed at the floor.
"Edward? Look at me." His beautiful amber eyes met mine; they were filled with such sadness. He was my laughing, joking vampire; I needed to fix this. "Let's not worry about this right now, okay? I have no idea how I'll feel in the future; I've never imagined even having a future before, but I know right now, I don't want any children." I offered him a little smirk. "But there is something I'd like to do with you, and you being sterile does alleviate one major concern."
For a moment, it looked like he was going to protest, to want to hash this out some more, but then he smiled, and I could see him making an effort to cheer up.
"No STD's, either; as far as teen sex goes, I'm the safest bet around." He chuckled. It wasn't full Edward strength, but at least it was something.
"Hey, I know I'm crazy and my mood swings are beyond extreme . . . it's only, well, I'm incredibly lucky you're here and that you love me. I'm realizing that now, realizing that what you are doesn't define you. You're kind, beautiful, funny, and strong; what more could I ask for?"
His eyes shifted for a moment then, a bit of sadness and then he shook his head and wiped it away before responding.
"It's I who am lucky to have you."
"Edward, don't do that again—tell me what I said to make you sad?" I didn't like it when he tried to hide things from me.
"No, love. Not sad. It was only an answer to your question that occurred to me, before I realized it went entirely against the gift you were giving, acceptance."
"What occurred to you?"
He closed his eyes, and I felt bad for pushing him, but I wanted to know everything he thought, even the sad things.
"A heart beat," he whispered.
I whispered back, "Mine beats for you. It speeds up when you kiss me, hold me, even when you simply look at me. Those extra beats are all for you."
He pulled me close and hugged me, murmuring, "Thank you," into my ear. I smiled, happy that I'd made him feel good.
We looked at each other for a quiet moment, and I thought maybe I was really seeing him for the first time, seeing him as a person, and not something completely apart from myself.
"Bella, listen though, okay? I want very much to make love to you, too. Not here, not under your father's roof—well, maybe if he wasn't under it at the time." He chuckled a little before continuing. "More importantly, I want to wait until you're more comfortable with me, with my touch." I winced, remembering all the times I'd flinched from him this evening.
"You're right, Edward. For now, lets get back to Bella acclimatization then, shall we?"
His lips met mine, and I didn't flinch.
It was different, making out on the bed. More intense. He scooted us both down until we were lying on our sides, facing each other. Not feeling close enough to him, I shifted myself to lie on top of him. For once, I could appreciate his extra abilities since he was able to keep his head raised off the bed indefinitely while we kissed. I marveled at his taste; he was every bit as yummy as a York Peppermint Patty, cool, sweet and refreshing. As much as sometimes his low temperature skived me out a bit, I was sure he'd pretty much ruined me for ever being with a human.
His hands, tentative at first, firmly planted themselves on my ass and started to massage the muscles there. Lying on him as I was, I could really only curl my arms around his head as we kissed, but he didn't seem to mind.
Our pelvises started moving together as if our lower bodies had decided our earlier intelligent decision was crap.
I could feel every inch of him again; luckily, this time I managed to restrain myself from any ignorant remarks. Knowing that everything I felt was a sign of how much he wanted me, allowed me to really let go and enjoy what we were doing instead of feeling self-conscious and unsure.
I would have liked to have stayed there kissing Edward for hours, feeling his soft silk tongue on mine, his strong hands all over my body, and hearing the moans coming from deep within him. Unfortunately, when I started to yawn mid-kiss, we both had to face the fact that I'd need sleep at some point, even if he didn't.
"Do you want me to stay here with you, Bella?" he asked me.
"Won't you get bored? What do you usually do at night?" I was curious what someone did with an extra eight to ten hours a day.
"Well, play piano, read, listen to music, hunt, lots of things. But, no, I wouldn't be bored staying here with you. I'd never get bored of that. If you'd rather I don't stay in your room, I'll step outside to keep watch."
I had a pretty good idea of how I'd feel if he left, and saw no reason to put myself through that, especially knowing it would be even more so for him. We had a bond that I didn't fully understand yet, but I wasn't going to fight it.
"Stay, please. I'd like you to stay."
"Okay," he said, giving me a sweet caress on my cheek. "I'll stay. Thank you."
I smiled shyly at him before mumbling something about needing to visit another room in the house, and then started to grab my sleeping clothes.
"Hey, are you busy this weekend?"
I looked up from my dresser drawer over to where he still lay. He had a mischievous grin on his face, like he was planning something.
"Noooo, no plans. Why?"
"What do you think of Disneyland?" he asked, grinning like a little kid asking his parents to take him to the fabled mouse's playground.
"Edward, are you serious? Disneyland?"
"Sure," he said. "Why not? The entire coast is supposed to be overcast for the whole weekend. It will be perfect. You can finally meet my family; they'd all love to come. Any chance of sunshine, Alice will see it, and we can simply head into one of the indoor attractions."
"Well, how about the fact it would take us all of Saturday to drive down there and then all of Sunday to drive back? There's no time." I hated to burst his bubble, but it didn't seem like he'd thought this through very well.
"Not to worry, my young human, we have a plane, and we're not afraid to use it."
"A plane!" I squeaked. "You have a plane?" It had been plenty obvious the Cullens were a well to do family, judging by the clothes they wore and Edward's car, but a plane?
"Bella, making money is very easy for a vampire family that contains a mind reader and a psychic. We've been doing it for a long time. Carlisle is also paid a generous salary at the hospital. Surgeons of his caliber frequently enjoy luxuries like private planes. I know it seems ostentatious, but it's something we've found convenient."
I looked at Edward for a moment, sure that I was supposed to have some objection to being whisked away on a private jet to Disneyland at a moment's notice. It sounded incredibly expensive and frivolous, neither characteristic being a part of my life before. I opened my mouth to refuse, to say they shouldn't spend that kind of money and attention on me, but then I closed it. This was a gift, and if he wanted to give it to me, who was I to refuse something that obviously made him excited and happy?
I gave him a thumbs up from where I stood across the room. "Sounds perfect! I've never been, and I'm sure it will be a ton of fun."
He smiled back at me as I gathered the rest of my stuff and headed to the other room.
The bathroom in this house was super small, and the previous owners had seemingly attempted to make it look bigger by putting a gigantic mirror on the wall opposite the door. When I walked in, I almost thought someone else was in there; I looked so different from normal.
My eyes were bright instead of downcast.
My cheeks were red.
My hair was mussed and tousled, like the girls in magazines.
My lips were red and swollen—and smiling!
I had to admit, I liked what I saw. Edward was giving me something far beyond protection; he was literally giving me life. Gone was the zombie girl slinking through her days, hoping if she stayed unnoticed, maybe she could live a little bit longer. Now, I was feeling things I'd never felt before, never dared of dreaming I'd feel: confidence, attraction, fun, lust—lust—how amazing to finally be experiencing something that everyone else I knew took for granted.
Grinning to myself, I washed up a bit and changed my clothes as fast as possible, and then practically skipped down the hall to get back to Edward.
With no hesitation at all, I leaped right back on top of him after coming in the room, giving him a big kiss before curling up next to him, our hands joined on top of his chest. His other hand started stroking my hair, and I fell asleep with a smile on my face for the first time since my mom was taken from me.
I'd been on autopilot while getting ready for the day, caught up in memories of the night before. Yes, I'd fucked up when I first woke up, but I'd come so far during the night, I refused to let a minor setback ruin our day. Looking in the mirror now, I still looked happy and freshly kissed. It didn't matter what anyone at school said or how much attention I got. It didn't matter that my house was now going to be surrounded by vampires twenty-four seven. It was time to be truly thankful for this turn my life had taken and enjoy what I'd been given.
My dad had left while I was still sleeping, leaving me a nice note and lunch money. I'm sure he would have been shocked to see me skipping around smiling and humming random cheerful tunes to myself. It occurred to me I was going to need to introduce Edward to him. There was no way he was going to let me go off to California for the weekend without meeting at least Edward, if he didn't demand to meet all the Cullens.
I'd just put some bread in the toaster when I heard a knock at the door. Not even thinking, I reached over and pulled it open, letting Edward in. It wasn't until he'd walked in and closed the door behind him, that I realized what I'd done.
Before, every time there was a knock on the door, expected or unexpected, my heart would race and I'd wonder if this was it—if the James vampire was coming for me, and was, for his own sick reasons, being polite about it.
Now, I knew it was my vampire before I even looked. My increased heart beat was from happiness instead of fear. Unable to constrain myself, I threw myself at him, wrapping my legs around his hips and kissing him with all the joy I felt.
Except, he wasn't kissing me back. His arms were wrapped around me, but they were kind of pulling me from him a bit, as if he wanted me to get down. What had I done wrong? Was he still upset from earlier? I'd hoped my enthusiastic greeting would make him happy.
I released myself from around him and took a step back, my eyes looking at the floor.
"I'm sorry, Edward. I understand if you're pissed from when I woke up," I whispered.
His hand came under my chin to lift my face to his. His expression chilled me to the core; this had nothing to do with this morning. He was all lethal hunter and deadly vampire, yet I could still see the love for me in his eyes, and how much he dreaded telling me what he was about to say.
"He's back, Bella."